Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography has received widespread praise, both for its historical value as a record of an important early American and for its literary style. William Dean Howells in 1905 asserted that "Franklin's is one of the greatest autobiographies in literature, and towers over other autobiographies as Franklin towered over other men." The Autobiography has been recognized by most readers as a classic of literature and relating to the narrative voice of the author. In this work, Franklin's persona comes alive and presents a man whose greatness does not keep him from being down-to-earth and approachable, who faces up to mistakes and blunders ("errata") he has committed in life, and who presents personal success as something within the reach of anyone willing to work hard enough for it.